The Darewolf. Former member of The Nexus and The Corre. Three-time Tag Team Champion. PJ Black is here! On the eve of ArcadeMania, PJ Black (fka Justin Gabriel) joins Spencer Love to chat about his upcoming WrestleMania week appearances, teaming with Tyson Kidd, his return to IMPACT Wrestling, his free agency, a potential NXT offer, and more! Like, share, subscribe, and tune in to our latest interview on Love Wrestling!
I’m super excited to kick this new project off with the 1st installment of “Get To Know” with none other than “The Thickness” Reid Matthews out of Calgary, Alberta. I first discovered Reid Matthews during a Love Pro Wrestling show – our home promotion here at Love Wrestling. I was immediately drawn to his in-ring abilities. From then on I was hooked and said to myself, “I have to get to know more about him.” So I hit him up and we chatted about everything from his start in the business, which match he was most proud of and so much more. Enjoy getting to know The Thickness himself Reid Matthews….
At what moment did you realize you wanted to be in the wrestling business?
I started watching wrestling in 2013, but it wasn’t till 2014 [that] I decided I wanted to wrestle.
How did you get started in wrestling?
For watching wrestling, it was The Rock documentary on Netflix – which led me to other documentaries – and then to watching WWE for the first time: Raw before the Bryan vs Cena SummerSlam. For training, my father learned of Lance’s school through a friend of his.
You mentioned your dad helping you find Lance Storm’s training school. What was his reaction when you said you wanted to become a wrestler?
Once they knew I was determined to pursue it, they supported me completely, from buying tickets to shows to helping me buy my first set of merch.
Training at Lance Storm’s school had to be an awesome experience. What was the best piece of advice you got from Lance?
Take your time. We can easily get caught up in the moment and move too quick. Take your time and really let the moment sit.
Who would you say is your biggest influence in wrestling?
Move-wise, I’d say Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. For starting to wrestle, I’d give it to The Rock, for his documentary started it all.
It’s hard to just have one favorite wrestler. Who is on your Mount Rushmore of Wrestling?
Shawn Michaels, Stone cold, Seth Rollins, and John Cena.
Who is currently your favorite wrestler?
My favorites currently are Sami, Roman, Seth, MJF, and Gunther.
Who would you want to face in your dream match?
This may surprise some people, but Brock Lesnar. When I was first thinking about getting into it, I always envisioned surpassing all the odds to beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.
What one match of yours are you most proud of?
I have a couple. My last match with Taryn From Accounting I’m super proud of, and the four-match feud I had with Marz The Specialist I’m also proud of.
Who’s that up and coming wrestler no one is talking about but should be?
If I had to choose one, I’d say Marz The Specialist, but pretty much the whole LPW roster should be talked about.
What advice do you have for anyone thinking about getting into wrestling?
Be willing to learn, because no one knows everything about wrestling. And of course, have fun, because wrestling is an experience all its own.
Obviously I’m a fan of beards. Who’s got the best beard in the wrestling business not named Reid Matthews?
When it comes to beards, I really like Bray Wyatt’s and Roman Reign’s beard.
Favorite venue you have performed in?
This one’s hard. I’ve wrestled in the Saddledome, which is wild to think about, and I really like Nait and the Rec Room for their atmosphere too.
What’s your pre-match routine or superstitions?
Stretches, quick pump, gum, and a couple of leg and chest slaps before the curtain. In the ring before the bell, it’s stretching the shoulders and cracking my back.
I’m sure the car rides are long, so what’s on your playlist?
My playlist varies a lot. I have metal, rap, pop, jazz, Bollywood, musicals, parodies, etc. Mainly whatever I’m feeling in the moment.
What food spot are you hitting up while on the road? What are you ordering?
Subway. I’ve been a Subway where lately and my order is a footlong oven-roasted chicken on Italian herb and cheese, toasted, with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cucumber, green peppers, spinach, ranch, and garlic aioli.
What do you say to the people who say wrestling is fake?
My two broken hands and broken nose say otherwise. I’ve also wanted to chop someone to show how “fake” it is.
What is the one thing you would change about the wrestling business?
Other than the obvious, like getting rid of all the moral wrongdoings that happen, I’d say removing the mindset of not changing.
If you weren’t in the wrestling business what would you be in?
Architect Technologist.
What are your goals for 2023?
Wrestle in more companies in Canada and the US.
When it’s time to hang them up, what do you hope people will say about your wrestling career?
That it inspired them to do what they love.
Where can the fans see you perform next?
LPWxCWS, March 30, and LPW March 31
What can the fans expect when they come out and see you live in person?
Expect Thick and to be surprised by what I can do. Also violence, violence, and violence.
Where can fans go to follow you on Social Media?
@thethickness7 on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
A huge thank you to Reid Matthews for all of his time. Make sure you go follow him on all social media and check out his upcoming matches at LPW events! Also, keep it here for your latest “Get To Know” covering all of your favorite up-and-coming independent wrestling talent all over the world.
When the lights are the brightest, the brightest rise.
Cody Rhodes has demonstrated throughout his entire career that he is undeniably deserving of all he is currently achieving. His story is one so many can relate to in such a remarkably tangible way. When he walks down the ramp, through a thunderstorm of pyro and flashes that one-of-a-kind smile, you feel it deep inside. That ability alone – to touch people with passion – is such a gift.
I cannot imagine a more perfect climax to his journey than the one we are about to witness on Sunday evening. We all know the story, so there is no need to go into detail, but the path he has taken isn’t one any other wrestler has ever chosen to take. One on the fringes could have argued he had it all when he walked away from WWE. You wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.
It’s all a matter of perception. Cody knew his worth. He knew what he was capable of. The vision he had for not just his career, but the business as a whole, could not be achieved by simply running it back night after night. Like the greats before him, he understood that to ascend to the heights he knew in his heart he deserved, he had to evolve.
The gravity of that decision is still being felt across the wrestling business. Because of the courage and grit he pulled from within his soul, it always will be felt. I’m not sure we can even fully grasp what he did by walking away from a dream.
He altered the course of this thing of ours to such a degree that it is viscerally different than it was just a handful of years ago. He didn’t do it alone, but he provided the spark and so much more.
When I think a little deeper, I’m not sure he ever did walk away from the dream. Not completely. He made a decision, yes. But he never gave up the ultimate goal. Cody Rhodes took the only path he could to keep that dream alive. In doing so, he provided an avenue for new dreams to come true for others like him – in more ways than one.
I don’t know how prominent this vision was during the years he was away. Perhaps it was always at the forefront. Maybe he kept it close, safe and sound in his soul. It doesn’t matter though. What matters is he is here, and in a week’s time he could be standing triumphantly in the middle of the largest stage in professional wrestling holding the title he deserves. I cannot escape that image in my mind. A rabid audience, a rainbow of magical pyro, the shimmer of gold, and that trademark Cody Rhodes smile.
That is a true WrestleMania moment. One for the ages.
Even if he fails Sunday, he’ll have won. Perhaps the goal isn’t the gold itself. Maybe the story is meant to finish with the moment.
And moments are what we make them. Everyone wants to be a world champion, that much is simple. As much of an undisputable honor as it is to hold that gold, something in the business is even more rare. The Mania main event.
It’s one match. Once a year. The performers chosen carry the weight of not just the company but the entire professional wrestling business on their backs. The lights are brightest. The pressure is heaviest. The reward? Extraordinary.
By walking through those hallowed ropes on Sunday, Cody will be joining the most elite club in wrestling. It’s one all aspire to be members of but only few can claim. As wonderful an ending to his story gold would be, can we appreciate the preamble for a moment?
After the intro pyro, and the majesty on the long walk to the ring, do me a favor, would you? As he enters the ring, when the camera zooms in close, take a few seconds. Look into Cody’s eyes. Understand the journey, the impossible decisions, the history, and more. Feel the passion and emotion. I promise you; it will be something you remember for a lifetime.
It’s what the business is all about. Those moments, the ones that we carry with us, it’s why I watch. I’ve been a fan for almost 25 years. That’s why.
I’m going to cry on Sunday night. That in and of itself isn’t special because wrestling as an artform moves me to a degree I cannot rightfully explain to you. I cry often. Sunday will be a little different though. It’s not just any title bout. It’s not just any WrestleMania main event. What we get to bear witness to under the brightest of lights is the culmination of a journey. A career. A lifetime. A family.
Now, the story isn’t ending, right? In a way, it’s only just beginning.
The Cody Rhodes we see when Sunday turns to Monday will be the same Cody Rhodes we’ve known and grown to adore. Gold or not, nothing outwardly changes. But within? One cannot dispute what this moment will mean to him and the Rhodes family as a whole. His soul. His heart. I hope it’s everything he always hoped it would be and even more. For the work he’s put in, the environment in wrestling he’s helped to create, and for the human being he is; he deserves this.
You can’t deny the greatness of Cody Rhodes. People try and always will, I imagine. It goes with the territory. It’s not for me to say who is greater than someone else. I’m just a girl who loves this thing of ours with her whole heart. I cheer everyone because I see them all for what they are – people chasing their dreams.
There is no one like Cody Rhodes. I believe in my soul that he lives and breathes professional wrestling. There may those who love it just as much, but no one loves it more. It pulsates through his veins and lives within his mind day and night.
He had a dream and held onto it. On Sunday, he finishes the story.
Shoot for the sky, Cody. We’re all with you.
You won’t find many wrestling fans, if any, who haven’t heard of the renowned Hart Dungeon. Founded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1955, the Dungeon became known as one of the most brutal, but one of the best, training schools in professional wrestling history. Led by the legendary Stu Hart, the Dungeon produced some of the biggest names in professional wrestling history, including the Hart family, the Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith, Tyson Kidd, and more.
Unfortunately, the Dungeon closed in 2003, shortly after the death of the Hart family patriarch. Since then, there has been no true predecessor to Stu’s fabled Dungeon: at least, nothing until recently, with TJ Wilson and Natalya opening their own version of the Dungeon in Florida.
Recently speaking with Natalya, I asked her about her love of training and, of course, the New Hart Dungeon itself.
“It’s awesome. We love our dungeon!” espoused the Queen of Harts. “Of course, a lot of people ask about how they can come and train with us.
It’s not a school, because we don’t have time for school. TJ and I are on the road so much: literally, like six days a week, we’re working. But, we train on a certain day of the week, and it’s sort of invite only. There’s people that I’ve run into during my career that will say, ‘Hey, would it be okay if I came down and checked it out?’ I’m totally fine with that. But, it’s just so hard because there’s so many people, it’s hard to get everybody in the ring.
“My practices are really intense. The training is really…it’s grueling. It’s like the way the Dungeon was back in the day. The Dungeon actually was started in 1955, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, at the Hart House. It’s a tradition, it’s our family tradition, and it’s so nice to be able to carry on that tradition.
It is really a place for people that love wrestling. It’s like a wrestling workshop. There’s a lot of secrets that are shared about the industry as far as how to construct a match, and how to be great, and how to excellently execute things. It’s like a wrestling workshop. It’s really cool for the people that come in there and train with us.”
One individual Hart was quick to point out was Street Profits star Angelo Dawkins. Since the return of live crowd, Dawkins has been noted as one of the most-improved wrestlers on the WWE roster. That’s no accident, says Natalya, but his efforts both on and off of shows.
“You look at somebody like Angelo Dawkins. He’s been training with us since the very beginning, and you see the growth and the improvement that he’s made. He’s lost all this weight and his performances are incredible. His conditioning is awesome. It’s just like a testament to him.
He’ll be on Raw, he’ll be on SmackDown, he’ll be doing live events, [and] he’ll be on a pay-per-view. But, he shows up. He comes in, he trains with us and he puts in the work even though he has a family, too. It’s just so commendable.”
Tune in to our full interview with Natalya below. For those who choose to use the above transcriptions, please credit Spencer Love/Love Wrestling.
Hockey players are universally renowned for their toughness. However, this week that toughness was tested a lil’ more than usual with a pair of interactions featuring some NHL legends and current IMPACT star Bully Ray.
Last Friday at IMPACT’s latest pay-per-view, Sacrifice, Bully Ray was in the midst of an ironically-titled Busted Open match with his long-time rival and radio co-host Tommy Dreamer. After noting that McCarty was in the crowd, Ray made a point to verbally lambast the former NHL star, even going so far as to throw a beer in his face.
Incensed, the four-time Stanely Cup Champion entered the ring, engaging in a hockey fight with the former IMPACT Champion. Unfortunately, Bully Ray – along with his accomplices, The Good Hands – were able to gain the upper, ugh, hand and put the Red Wings icon through a table.
McCarty, along with Tommy Dreamer and Yuya Uemura, are scheduled to take on Ray and the Good Hands on April 6th at IMPACT’s Sacrifice: Fallout event.
After his dismantling of the former Detroit Red Wings brawler, Bully Ray found himself caught in the crosshairs of yet another of the NHL’s legendary enforcers.
However, that wasn’t the end of Ray’s beef with NHL players. Quote-tweeting a clip of McCarty’s interference, Ray said simply:
“Never was a Hockey fan. Bunch of fake tough guys.”
This awoke the ire of former Edmonton Oilers star Georges Laraque, who was quick to challenge the wrestling legend to a bout of fisticuffs, as it were.
Though Ray noted that he was not familiar with Laraque, Big Georges has a special place in the heart of hockey fans. Through his 13-year NHL career, Laraque earned his reputation as one of the most feared fighters of all time. Through his time with the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montréal Canadiens, Laraque amassed over 130 fighting majors, with this writer feeling confident as heck calling most of ’em wins.
There’s been no word on whether this interaction will amount to a match, dear reader, but ya best believe we’re hoping!
IMPACT Wrestling is about to get Wild.
On tonight’s IMPACT pay-per-view, Sacrifice, the promotion announced that Canadian wrestling star “The Wild Child” Jody Threat is scheduled to be joining the promotion in the near future.
Threat, based out of Toronto, Ontario, has been one of the standouts of the Canadian wrestling scene since her debut in 2017. Through the past few years, Threat has become one of the most popular wrestlers above the 49th parallel, but one of the busiest.
Over the past year, Threat has wrestled for over 35 promotions, including C*4, Winnipeg Pro Wrestling, and Love Pro Wrestling.
Currently, Threat is the WPW Women’s Champion, as well as the Demand Wrestling Lucha Openweight Champion. Recently, Threat made her debut with DEFY Wrestling, defeating Danika Diehard on March 11th.
Thus far, no date has been announced for Threat’s debut.
A local professional wrestler is set to attempt to make history in an effort to raise funds for the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
On Saturday, May 13th, “God’s Gift to Wrestling” Michael Richard Blais will attempt to wrestle an eight-hour match known as “The Infinity Gauntlet” as a fundraiser for Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital. The event, hosted in conjunction with the Clandestine Wrestling Society is set to mark Blais’ twentieth anniversary since beginning training as a professional wrestler.
“Over recent months I’ve become familiar with the Stollery through various situations with people close to me and their experiences,” said Blais. “I’ve always wanted to do something special that’s never been done before with it and more importantly for a good cause.
Looking further into it and thinking about myself as a kid it made me feel like this would be the good cause I’d most want to dedicate this idea to.”
Beginning at 12:00 PM on May 13th, Blais will attempt to wrestle in a gauntlet match against a variety of different opponents. Blais will wrestle for half an hour for every $100 raised, with a goal of $1,600 raised for a total of eight consecutive hours wrestled.
The Infinity Gauntlet is scheduled to feature a number of independent stars from throughout Alberta, including current LPW Grand Champion Zoë Sager, Taryn From Accounting, “The Thickness” Reid Matthews, and Steven Crowe.
Blais was trained in Calgary, Alberta on May 13th, 2003 with former WWE Superstar TJ Wilson (fka Tyson Kidd). One of the most decorated pro wrestlers in Canadian wrestling history, Blais has earned multiple appearances for WWE through his tenure as a professional wrestler, including taking part in the first-ever all-Canadian tryout in the promotion’s history in 2019. For the past year, Blais has wrestled primarily for Love Pro Wrestling (Edmonton) and WrestleCore (Vancouver).
Donations for the event can currently be made directly through the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation at https://stolleryci.crowdchange.ca/29398. A live stream for the event will also be hosted at https://www.youtube.com/godsgiftMRB.
Turns out Toronto needed some saving.
Last night, Michael Richard Blais made his return to Game Changer Wrestling at IWS x GCW: Worst Behaviour, as part of a scramble match featuring Blake Christian, Alec Price, Starboy Charlie, Manders, Big F’N Vin. In spite of his loss, the inaugural LPW Grand Champion impressed the Toronto faithful in his first appearance in #YYZ since WWE’s tryout in Toronto in August, 2019.
Blais’ return marked his first match with Game Changer Wrestling since 2019. That year, Blais made his GCW debut, appearing as part of the Clusterfuck at Joey Janela’s Spring Break.
Stay tuned to Love Wrestling for more previews, reviews, breaking news, and interviews from the Canadian wrestling scene.
Oh, Canada!
Last week saw All Elite Wrestling travel above the 49th parallel for just the second time, with the promotion hosting both a live edition of AEW: Dynamite, as well as tapings for their show AEW: Dark. While Canadian wrestling fans were treated to the AEW debut of Nicole Matthews on Wednesday, “The Shimmertaker” was far from the only star from the Great White North making appearances for AEW this week.
Tonight’s edition of Dark saw a number of Western Canada’s biggest names either return to or debut for, All Elite Wrestling.
Those who tuned in at 7:00 et saw all of Taryn From Accounting, “The Intangible” Zoë Sager, Mo Jabari, Sebastian Wolfe, Michael Allen Richard Clark, Shaun Moore, Taylor Rising, and Levi Night grace the AEW screens, with all impressing in their inaugural appearances with one of the world’s biggest wrestling promotions.
Despite a less-than-ideal win-loss record, Love Pro Wrestling would like to congratulate each and every individual for their huge accomplishment.
Tune in to the full episode of AEW: Dark below!
The past few months have been a return to the roots for WWE star Nikki Cross. After a controversial run as superhero Nikki A.S.H, Cross began returning to a more wild character similar to her original run in NXT.
During that inaugural run, Cross was part of the stable, SAnitY.
However, when the faction was originally called up to Smackdown in June, 2018, Cross was nowhere to be seen, marking the end of the original group’s tenure.
In an interview with Love Wrestling prior to Elimination Chamber, Cross chatted about a potential reunion with her original faction.
“SAnitY was the most fun I’ve ever had in my career,” began the former RAW Women’s Champion. “You know, I had Eric Young who was like this crazy uncle, I had, you know, my husband, Killian Dain. Getting to work with my husband was really fun! And then I had my best friend Alexander Wolfe.”
“So, for me, SAnitY was the most fun I’ve ever had in my career. I learned so much from those three men. They taught me so much, and I learned so much.
It’s just a time I look really fondly on and it helped me grow as a performer. So I would never want to forget that because it’s so integral to Nikki Cross as a character.”
Tune in to the full interview with Nikki Cross below. Should you choose to utilize any quotes, please credit Spencer Love/Love Wrestling.